March 2009
"Love has nothing to do with what you are expecting to get – only what you are expecting to
give – which is everything. What you will receive in return varies. But it really has no connection
with what you give. You give because you love and cannot help giving."
-Katherine Hepburn-
MISSIONARY WORK IN SMALL STEPS
Missionaries are those whom God has sent to accomplish something for Him. They are
ambassadors, both the mouthpiece of the One who has sent them, and also the doulos (servant or
slave) who is to carry out the orders at whatever cost. Jesus was a missionary sent from Heaven
on a rescue mission. Christians are missionaries sent from this earth with essentially the same
rescue mission as their Master.
We are living in a time of great confusion in the Church – a time of false teaching, false preaching,
of terrible leadership and of much apathy among those in “the pews”. What are we to do in the
midst of this spiritual chaos, as missionaries who believe that at some point, we must be called to
account for our work?
Let us cling to this simple truth: it is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness. The light
shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it (John 1)
Step One: Helping the People to believe in themselves.
“The poor come to believe that they are and were always meant to be without value and without
gifts. They believe they are truly God-forsaken”. (Walter Wink) “This is where the African feels his
poverty most: a poverty of being, in which poor Africans have come to believe they are no good
and cannot get things right”.(Musopole)
If we are to do missionary (development) work and be successful, then the people to whom we are
sent must come to believe that they have much value and tremendous gifts. It begins with very
small steps – as Voltaire said, you must first go and tend your garden. The girl in the picture
feeding her chickens (Phili) began with one chicken, given to her as a thank you from one of the
village churches. Today, she has a whole “fleet” of free-range chickens, and they are like her pets,
showing up every morning for their free breakfast of maize.
Much of the challenge of missionary work is getting our people to take the first step. But to take
that first step, they must believe in themselves enough to begin the journey.
Step Two: Giving the People the tools to succeed.
Poor people in the Third World (so called) are not incapable or stupid. On the contrary, they have
to be quite smart and resourceful, because they do not have the tools to be otherwise. For
example, a farmer can plow his field with a hand hoe, and spend weeks in the process. But if he is
lucky, he can save a small sum from his previous harvest earnings, and hire our tractor to do the
whole job for him in an hour or so.
The tractor project is proving to be quite successful, in ways that I would never have anticipated.
We are plowing substantial amounts of land every week, opening up acreage for churches and
schools which can then be kept in production for years to come. I am receiving daily requests for
plowing and harrowing, not just from the churches, but from farmers all over Masindi District.
Another example is the training program for the catechists and church leaders. Books and
instruction in how to use them are wonderful things! One can see an improvement in preaching, in
bible study, and in general pastoral understanding and care. From time to time, the catechists drop
by to visit and report on their work. It is always good to learn that some little tool we provided, which
we thought was inconsequential, has turned out to be very useful for the work.
My prayer is that the renovation of the main school building, which has now started, will have a
transformative effect upon all the catechetical work in the diocese, and maybe beyond. Already we
are receiving requests to use the first renovated building, even before the school has moved in!
Step Three: Follow-through and analyze the results.
Missionary work is relational. It does little good to be a spiritual voyeur – one of the biggest
challenges that long-term missionaries face these days comes from short-term missionaries, who
are well meaning but totally oblivious to the impact of their lack of analysis and follow-through.
Good work takes years, and ongoing presence with the churches and the people. For example, the
Buliisa Project is getting stronger because friendships are growing and the people believe that their
new friends from the U.S. are committed to them on a long-term basis.
Some wise man once said “consistency, thou art a jewel”. The Gospel message must be
consistent, not ‘yes’ and ‘no’. “What man of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a
stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?” (Mat. 7.9)
Here in Uganda, we fight daily against the influence of witchdoctors, false religions, ritual killings,
even child sacrifice! The Church may be a mile wide in Africa, but it is an inch deep in far too many
places, including at the very top. If there is no follow-through and analysis of results – if there is no
friendship beyond the casual greeting and pleasantries, then it is all too common here to see
believers slipping backwards, even falling altogether. People want to “play spiritual”, ignoring the
very real dangers present, such as those that befell the seven sons of Sceva (Acts 19) who played
with the Lord’s name and were overpowered by the evil spirit!
Conclusion
The work is going well, especially the agricultural projects, in spite of many challenges. We look
forward to some time-off to go to Swahili language school, the completion of at least a first draft of
my book, the completion of the main building for the Diocesan Training School, and to increased
growth in Phili’s business, which takes in orders almost daily now. You are welcome to come and
visit us and see elephants, lions, chimps, and amazing technicolored birds here in our backyard.
There is room at the inn.
May the good Lord give you a blessed and renewing Lent.
give – which is everything. What you will receive in return varies. But it really has no connection
with what you give. You give because you love and cannot help giving."
-Katherine Hepburn-
MISSIONARY WORK IN SMALL STEPS
Missionaries are those whom God has sent to accomplish something for Him. They are
ambassadors, both the mouthpiece of the One who has sent them, and also the doulos (servant or
slave) who is to carry out the orders at whatever cost. Jesus was a missionary sent from Heaven
on a rescue mission. Christians are missionaries sent from this earth with essentially the same
rescue mission as their Master.
We are living in a time of great confusion in the Church – a time of false teaching, false preaching,
of terrible leadership and of much apathy among those in “the pews”. What are we to do in the
midst of this spiritual chaos, as missionaries who believe that at some point, we must be called to
account for our work?
Let us cling to this simple truth: it is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness. The light
shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it (John 1)
Step One: Helping the People to believe in themselves.
“The poor come to believe that they are and were always meant to be without value and without
gifts. They believe they are truly God-forsaken”. (Walter Wink) “This is where the African feels his
poverty most: a poverty of being, in which poor Africans have come to believe they are no good
and cannot get things right”.(Musopole)
If we are to do missionary (development) work and be successful, then the people to whom we are
sent must come to believe that they have much value and tremendous gifts. It begins with very
small steps – as Voltaire said, you must first go and tend your garden. The girl in the picture
feeding her chickens (Phili) began with one chicken, given to her as a thank you from one of the
village churches. Today, she has a whole “fleet” of free-range chickens, and they are like her pets,
showing up every morning for their free breakfast of maize.
Much of the challenge of missionary work is getting our people to take the first step. But to take
that first step, they must believe in themselves enough to begin the journey.
Step Two: Giving the People the tools to succeed.
Poor people in the Third World (so called) are not incapable or stupid. On the contrary, they have
to be quite smart and resourceful, because they do not have the tools to be otherwise. For
example, a farmer can plow his field with a hand hoe, and spend weeks in the process. But if he is
lucky, he can save a small sum from his previous harvest earnings, and hire our tractor to do the
whole job for him in an hour or so.
The tractor project is proving to be quite successful, in ways that I would never have anticipated.
We are plowing substantial amounts of land every week, opening up acreage for churches and
schools which can then be kept in production for years to come. I am receiving daily requests for
plowing and harrowing, not just from the churches, but from farmers all over Masindi District.
Another example is the training program for the catechists and church leaders. Books and
instruction in how to use them are wonderful things! One can see an improvement in preaching, in
bible study, and in general pastoral understanding and care. From time to time, the catechists drop
by to visit and report on their work. It is always good to learn that some little tool we provided, which
we thought was inconsequential, has turned out to be very useful for the work.
My prayer is that the renovation of the main school building, which has now started, will have a
transformative effect upon all the catechetical work in the diocese, and maybe beyond. Already we
are receiving requests to use the first renovated building, even before the school has moved in!
Step Three: Follow-through and analyze the results.
Missionary work is relational. It does little good to be a spiritual voyeur – one of the biggest
challenges that long-term missionaries face these days comes from short-term missionaries, who
are well meaning but totally oblivious to the impact of their lack of analysis and follow-through.
Good work takes years, and ongoing presence with the churches and the people. For example, the
Buliisa Project is getting stronger because friendships are growing and the people believe that their
new friends from the U.S. are committed to them on a long-term basis.
Some wise man once said “consistency, thou art a jewel”. The Gospel message must be
consistent, not ‘yes’ and ‘no’. “What man of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a
stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?” (Mat. 7.9)
Here in Uganda, we fight daily against the influence of witchdoctors, false religions, ritual killings,
even child sacrifice! The Church may be a mile wide in Africa, but it is an inch deep in far too many
places, including at the very top. If there is no follow-through and analysis of results – if there is no
friendship beyond the casual greeting and pleasantries, then it is all too common here to see
believers slipping backwards, even falling altogether. People want to “play spiritual”, ignoring the
very real dangers present, such as those that befell the seven sons of Sceva (Acts 19) who played
with the Lord’s name and were overpowered by the evil spirit!
Conclusion
The work is going well, especially the agricultural projects, in spite of many challenges. We look
forward to some time-off to go to Swahili language school, the completion of at least a first draft of
my book, the completion of the main building for the Diocesan Training School, and to increased
growth in Phili’s business, which takes in orders almost daily now. You are welcome to come and
visit us and see elephants, lions, chimps, and amazing technicolored birds here in our backyard.
There is room at the inn.
May the good Lord give you a blessed and renewing Lent.
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